U.S. patent number 5,078,633 [Application Number 07/324,732] was granted by the patent office on 1992-01-07 for water sport footwear.
Invention is credited to James H. Tolbert, Jr..
United States Patent |
5,078,633 |
Tolbert, Jr. |
January 7, 1992 |
Water sport footwear
Abstract
The invention relates to water sport footwear designed for
placing on a foot of a wearer during gliding on the surface of
water, with the bottom of the shoe sole contacting the water during
the gliding process. The shoe includes a boot portion and a sole
portion fixedly attached to the boot portion, while the sole
portion is not considerably greater than the boot portion itself. A
water channel is formed in the bottom of the sole portion, the
channel extending from the heel portion to a distance towards the
front portion. The sole has a composite base structure having a
rigid upper plate and a softer, flexible bottom part integrally
attached to each other. Alternatively, the bottom of the sole
portion can be provided with a pair of channels equidistantly
spaced on the opposite sides of the central water channel for
increased control and maneuverability.
Inventors: |
Tolbert, Jr.; James H.
(Metairie, LA) |
Family
ID: |
27167977 |
Appl.
No.: |
07/324,732 |
Filed: |
March 17, 1989 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
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784577 |
Oct 4, 1985 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
441/65;
36/114 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B63B
32/35 (20200201) |
Current International
Class: |
B63B
35/73 (20060101); B63B 35/81 (20060101); B63B
035/81 () |
Field of
Search: |
;441/65,68,76,77,79,61,70 ;D21/229 ;36/50,3R,114,115,117
;280/600,601 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Basinger; Sherman
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Keaty & Keaty
Parent Case Text
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a continuation-in-part application of my
co-pending application Ser. No. 784,577 of the patent application
filed Oct. 4, 1985 for "Water Ski Shoes", the disclosure of which
is incorporated herewith by reference.
Claims
We claim:
1. A composite water sport footwear, comprising:
an upper shoe portion, for accommodating a foot of a wearer;
a lower platform portion secured to the foot portion along entire
length of the shoe portion, the platform portion further
comprising:
an upper rigid support surface defining a means for permanently
attaching the shoe portion thereinto;
a bottom sole portion secured along entire length of the upper
support surface, further defining a somewhat softer impactable
surface, for gliding along water surface during use; and
a channel means formed in a lower surface of the bottom sole
portion, for allowing water to flow therewithin and be delivered
rearward of the shoe, for added stability and maneuverability
during use, and wherein a pair of additional water channels are
formed in the bottom sole portion extending from a front edge of
the bottom sole portion to a point substantially 1/3 of the length
of the bottom sole portion, for defining a means for allowing water
to flow therethrough and be delivered to the front of the shoe, for
added stability and maneuverability, while the user is moving
backwards on water.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to footwear for water sports, and
more specifically to footwear worn during gliding on the body of
water, while the user is being pulled along the body of water by a
motor boat or the like.
In the recent years, it has become popular to engage in barefoot
water skiing, which presents considerable danger to the feet of the
skier. In barefoot water skiing, a sportsman holds by hands onto a
pulling rope, while contacting the surface of water with his bare
feet, and is being propelled about the surface of water at
considerable speed. Various mechanical objects in the body of
water, such as wooden splinters, pieces of plastic containers and
the like which float in the body of water can damage the feet of
the sportsman, causing serious injuries.
There are also known various elongated skis in which conventional
water ski shoes of the sportsman are secured by clamps or similar
means which allow the sportsman to engage in conventional water
skiing sports. But, as with barefoot skiing, there is present a
danger of injury to a sportsman, such as when a sportsman falls,
the ski may become the damaging object, causing injury to the
sportsman, breaking and leaving the broken pieces on the surface of
water, so that the next skier is injured by the broken skis. There
are also known special skie shoes which are worn by a skier
performing stunts at water variety shows which conventionally are
worn by the skiers and are adapted for securing in the clamp of a
water ski and adapted to be easily disengaged from the water ski
when required. Such example is shown in USSR Author's Certificate
No. 925,359 issued on May 7, 1982 and entitled "Water Skier Towing
Mechanism". The water ski footwear in accordance with '359 Author's
Certificate is designed for engaging the towing cable through a
special catch hook arrangement in the sole of the shoe, so as to
liberate the hands of the skier while he is being pulled by his
foot and allow him to support a partner and perform various stunts,
while the shoe is raised above the body of water and the skier
continues gliding on the surface of water with his other foot,
which is engaged by a conventional water ski.
It is an object of the present invention to overcome deficiencies
of the prior art and provide a safe alternative to barefoot skiing,
allowing the user to glide on the body of water while wearing the
footwear without the assistance of water skis.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a water
sport footwear which has improved hydrodynamic qualities.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a water
sport footwear which protects the foot of the sportsman, as it
comes in contact with the body of water during gliding on the
surface of the water.
These and other objects of the present invention will be more
apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description
of the invention.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention achieves its objects and overcomes
deficiencies of the prior art in a simple and straightforward
manner. The present invention contemplates provision of a water
sport footwear which comprises a sole portion and a boot portion
fixedly attached to the sole portion, while the sole portion is not
considerably greater than the boot portion itself. The bottom
surface of the sole portion immediately contacts the body of water
during entire water gliding by a sportsman, without the assistance
of water skis, supporting the skier's foot and engaging it, while
extending upwardly to a distance adjacent an ankle of the
sportsman. The boot portion is sized and shaped to follow natural
size and shape of the sportsman's foot so as to provide comfortable
protection to the sportsman's foot without bulky support means,
such as conventional water skis. The sole portion provides improved
stability and hydrodynamic qualities. A water channel is formed in
the bottom of the sole portion, the channel extending from the heel
portion to a distance from the front portion gradually reducing in
depth towards its innermost end.
The apparatus further provides a composite base portion, including
an upper polyurethane plate secured to the shoe portion along its
upper surface, and including a pair of curved forward and rearward
mounting walls further secured to the toe and heel of the shoe via
stitching or the like, the polyurethane plate substantially oval
shaped and extending a slight distance beyond the outer shape of
the shoe, for defining the base of the ski shoe. The composite base
further includes a soft and flexible bottom plate secured to the
underside of the polyurethane plate, for making contact with the
water, the bottom plate including a water channel along the rear
half of the shoe for providing improved control and maneuverability
during water skiing. In an additional embodiment, there may be
further included a pair of channels in the soft and flexible bottom
layer, along the front half of the shoe for providing improved
control and maneuverability while skiing in the reversed
position.
The sole has upwardly curved front and heel portions, with the
front portion being curved upwardly to a greater degree than the
heel portion. An upwardly turned arch portion further enhances
comfort of using the water sport footwear in gliding on the water
surface. The boot portion can be secured on the sportsman's feet by
boot laces and/or securing straps.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one of the embodiments of the water
sport footwear in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a rear view of an alternative embodiment of the footwear
in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the
footwear in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the sole of the footwear shown in FIGS.
1-3.
FIG. 5 is a side view of the sole shown in FIG. 4.
FIG. 6 is a side view of a second embodiment of the present
invention.
FIG. 7 is a top view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 6.
FIG. 8 is a front view of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 6 and
7.
FIG. 9 is a side view illustrating the water sport footwear of the
second embodiment in use.
FIG. 10 is a detail cross-sectional view taken along lines 10--10
in FIG. 9.
FIG. 11 is a view similar to the view of FIG. 9 illustrating the
footwear in use.
FIG. 12 is a plan view of an alternative embodiment of a sole of
the footwear in accordance with the present invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Reference will now be made to the drawings, and more specifically
to FIGS. 1-5 wherein like numerals designate like parts and wherein
a water sport footwear in accordance with the present invention is
designated generally by numeral 10.
The water sport footwear 10 comprises a sole, or platform portion
12 and a boot, or shoe portion 14 which is fixedly attached to the
sole portion 12 by glue or other similar methods.
The size of the sole portion 12 is not considerably greater than
the size of the boot portion 14, which rests on a top surface 16 of
the sole portion 12. The bottom surface 18 of the sole portion 12
is designed for gliding on the surface of water during the entire
water gliding process, as will be described in more detail
hereinafter.
The sole portion 12 is made from a rigid yet deformable (such as
polyurethane) lightweight material, so as to afford stability on
the water, while preventing injury to the sportsman, should the
sole portion become disengaged, under extreme circumstances, from
the boot portion 14.
The sole portion 12 is made from two layers fixedly and integrally
attached to each other to prevent their disengagement during use of
the footwear 10.
As can be better seen in FIG. 10, the sole or platform comprises a
bottom layer 135 made from a relatively soft flexible material
known as E.V.A. and an upper relatively rigid layer 130 formed
from, for example, polyurethane. The shoe portion 14 is fixedly
secured on top of the upper layer 130, between heel and front
protectors 20 and 22. The bottom layer 135 is slightly larger about
its entire perimeter than the upper layer 130.
Fixedly attached to the sole portion 12, and more specifically to
the top surface 16 thereof, are an arcuate front rigidification (or
protection) element, or wall 20 and an arcuate heel, or rear
rigidification (or protection) element, or wall 22 which extend
substantially vertically from the surface 16 to further enhance
protection of the sportsman's foot, as well as provide structural
support for securing of the boot portion 14 to the sole portion 12.
The elements 20 and 22 are made from a material similar to the
material of the sole portion 12 and are curved to follow the
general outline of the boot portion 14, forming the front and heel
protectors for the shoes, respectively. The protection elements 20
and 22 are fixedly attached to the boot portion 14.
The boot portion 14 generally follows a shape of a human foot and
extends with its upper portion 24 to about an ankle of a sportsman.
The boot portion 14 is secured on the user's foot by laces 26 (FIG.
1) or through the use of straps 28, 30 (FIGS. 1 and 4), which can
be used in combination with the laces 26 or separately. The straps
28 secure the instep part of the boot portion 14, while the straps
30 secure an ankle or upper portion 24 of the footwear 10.
As can be seen in FIGS. 1 and 4, the ankle securing strap 30 can
vary in width and may utilize hook and loop fasteners, such as
Velcro, or buckle (not shown), if so desired.
Reference will now be made to FIGS. 4 and 5, illustrating the sole
of the footwear in accordance with the present invention.
The sole 12, as was discussed above has an upper surface 16 and a
bottom surface 18. The bottom surface 18 is provided with a
substantially arcuate water channel 34 which extends from the heel
portion 38, inwardly towards the front portion 36 and terminates a
distance from the front portion 36 of the sole 12. The depth of the
channel 34 generally decreases from the heel part 38 towards its
innermost end 40, so that channel 34 gradually meets with the
bottom surface 18 at its innermost end.
The front 36 and the heel 38 portions are curved so as to offer
less resistance to a water flow and create less turbulence, while
the bottom surface 18 contacts the body of water during water
gliding process.
As can be seen in FIG. 5, the front portion 36 is curved upwardly
to a degree substantially greater than the heel portion 38, wherein
the upward curvature is not so pronounced. Forming a part of the
sole portion 12 is an upwardly curved arch part 42 which is formed
adjacent the heel portion 38 in the area of a human foot arch to
generally follow natural shape of the human foot and make the
footwear 10 more comfortable in use. As has been demonstrated by
numerous tests, such multi-curved shape of the sole portion 12
provides for improved stability of the footwear 10 on water, as
well as provides improved hydrodynamic qualities to the water
gliding process in addition to offering greater comfort to the
user.
It should be noted that the size of the water sport footwear 10 can
vary, depending on the actual size of a sportsman's foot who uses
the footwear in accordance with the present invention. Still, the
proportions between the boot portion 14 and sole portion 12 are
retained, so as to allow more freedom of movement for the user of
the water sport footwear 10, while not restraining his movement,
and giving the illusion of "barefoot skiing" with the protection to
the foot that sport cannot provide. The footwear shape is slightly
different for a left and a right foot, generally following the
natural shape of human feet.
In operation, a sportsman secures the boot portion 14 about his
foot, tightening the laces 26 and securing straps 28 and 30, when
necessary, so as to completely cover his foot and the ankle, thus
preventing accidental removal of the footwear during water gliding
process. A conventional propelling means, such as a water boat, is
employed for towing and propelling the sportsman, when he starts
the water gliding process by placing his feet with bottom surface
18 on the surface of water, thus starting the gliding process in
the footwear itself, without the use of water ski shoes and/or
water skis of any kind. During the entire water gliding process,
the water sport footwear 10 is secured on the foot of the
sportsman, allowing him to perform various stunts, if desired,
while not restricting his movements to any degree, which advantage
cannot be afforded by any conventional footwear presently known to
the applicant.
As will be appreciated, the boot portion 14 can vary in design,
size, color or the material from which it is made. Some of the
applications contemplate the use of water impermeable material for
the boot portion 14, while other applications utilize, at least in
part, water permeable materials for the boot portion 14. The sole
portion 12 is made from substantially rigid plastic which retains
its shape during impact with the surface of water, does not easily
deform, but still allows formation of various required curvatures
in the shape of the sole.
Reference will now be made to FIGS. 6-12 in illustrating the second
embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention designated by
the numeral 100. As illustrated, the footwear apparatus 10
comprises an upper shoe portion 112 which is constructed of a
flexible material, such as canvass or the like, of double strength,
or double layered special cloth, which would be durable, water
resistant and easy to care for. Shoe portion 112 includes a lower
foot portion 114, and an upper ankle portion 116, which can be of
various sizes for accommodating various sizes of feet. Shoe 112
accommodates the foot of the person and with the foot of the person
completely enveloped within shoe portion 112 and held in place by a
series of adjustable flexible securing means having for example
hook-and-loop type fasteners, such as Velcro.RTM. straps 117 along
the lower foot portion which include a first wide strap 119, with a
pair of narrow straps 118 and 120 threaded through ports 121 in
strap 119, which all three straps 118, 119, and 120 being held in
place via Velcro attachments 122. To further secure the shoe in
place, there is further included an upper strap member 124 which
encircles the upper portion 16 of shoe 12, for securing the ankle
in place to resist twisting or turning of the ankle during the
water sport.
As further seen in the drawings, shoe 112 includes a lower bottom
surface 126, permanently secured to a platform means 128. Platform
means 128 includes an upper polyurethane base plate 130, which is
somewhat rigid in its construction, and is utilized for support and
control in securing the upper shoe portion 112 in place. Plate 130
includes a rear arcuate support wall or heel element 132
encompassing the heel 127 of shoe 112, and a forward arcuate
support wall or protector 134 encompassing the toe 129 of shoe 112,
each of the walls 132 and 134 further secured to shoe 112 via
stitching 136 along their upper edge to prevent any possible
shifting of the shoe along the platform 30 during use. Shoe 112 is
secured along its bottom surface 126 to rigid polyurethane plate
130 so that shoe 112 is integrally attached thereto in the
composite format.
Platform 128 includes a perimeter portion 132 extending a distance
outward from the outer edge of shoe 112, the distance being
somewhat proportional to the overall size of the shoe and extending
therefrom approximately 2 to 5 centimeters outwardly from the shoe
between the outer edge 113 of the shoe and the outer edge 131 of
the plate in all directions, so that plate 130 defines in effect an
oval platform upon which shoe 112 is securely positioned.
Support platform 130 includes a lower surface 133 secured along its
entire undersurface to a lower, soft and flexible material 135
known as E.V.A., which defines the surface upon which the footwear
10 glides upon the surface of the water during water skiing. The
undersurface material 135 as secured to the upper support portion
130 can be of a dimension slightly larger than the overall width
and length of upper support surface 130 and defines an outer
perimeter edge 137 extending outwardly from the outer edge 131 of
support portion 130, for defining a cushion to help absorb impacts
between the ski shoe and objects, which would further resist in the
tearing or breaking of rigid support surface 130 during use.
Further, as illustrated in FIG. 12, under surface layer 135
includes a centrally located channel 140, extending from
substantially 1/3 of the undersurface 137 of under layer 135, and
extends rearwardly along the rear 2/3 length of the undersurface
135, with arcuate opening 139 at the very rear end of the platform.
Channel 140 has a curved continuous wall 141 formed in undersurface
135, and serves as a means for allowing water which would be under
high pressure as it impacts the forward portion 138 of underside
135 to release into channel 140, and to be discharged from channel
140 in the direction of lines 43 as illustrated in FIG. 11. This
channel 140 serves as a means to provide greater maneuverability of
the footwear 10 during use, and helps the platform to glide more
easily and safely along the water.
As further illustrated in FIGS. 12, an alternate embodiment of the
shoe sole is illustrated having an additional pair of channel
members 150 and 152, each channel 150 and 152 carved into the
undersurface 135 of shoe 100, and again forming a channel having an
arcuate upper wall 153, and extending along substantially the
forward front third of the shoe surface 135, and somewhat
overlapping in distance the primary channel 34 as illustrated in
FIG. 4. The pair of secondary channels 150 and 152 further defining
a means for providing ingress and egress of the pressurized water
upon which ski shoe 100 is gliding while the footwear is being
utilized in a manner as illustrated in FIG. 9, wherein the skier is
moving in a backwards mode. A pair of channels 150 and 152 would
allow again greater maneuverability and stability to the user as
the footwear 10 is moving in the direction of Arrow 54 as
illustrated in FIG. 9.
Due to the unique construction of the composite shoe 10 and 100 in
having the rigid upper platform 130 secured to the upper shoe 14,
120, and the lower softer, ski plaining portion 135 making contact
with the water, the lower portion 135 is able to absorb greater
impact with the water, and yet serve as a means, with the
utilization of border 137 to protect direct impact to the upper
portion 130 during use of the water sport footwear. Therefore, the
user is provided with greater stability and safety during use.
Many other modifications can be made in the present invention,
without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. We, therefore,
pray that our rights to the present invention be limited only by
the scope of the appended claims.
* * * * *